1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field):
The present invention relates to Three Mirror Anastigmatic (“TMA”) optics such as employed in TMA telescopes.
2. Description of Related Art
Three Mirror Anastigmatic (“TMA”) optics employed with sensor technologies typically require complex alignment techniques, requiring Modulation Transfer Function (“MTF”) analyzers, expensive alignment fixtures, and long hours of labor for the system to be aligned. FIG. 4 illustrates a typical prior art TMA optic 2, comprising discrete primary, secondary, and tertiary mirrors 4,6,8, with primary and tertiary mirrors not sharing a common vertex. The alignment and fabrication of TMA's typically require special alignment fixturing, multiple axes and six degrees of freedom for all three mirrors, special alignment techniques and expensive imaging equipment. The present invention permits straightforward alignment using a boresight laser or alignment tool.